My Friend and Guardian
by rainbowthefox
Summary: Just a few drabbles of Fran Bow Dagenhart spending time with her friend, Itward. Takes place after the game. (AU. Itward/Fran slightly hinted, but strictly platonic. A Fran Bow fanfic.)
1. Chapter 1

**My Dance Partner**

* * *

A tall, lean figure made his way gracefully along the tiled texture of the floor. A dark red robe encircled his skeletal body. Several opals and lockets were lined along the interior of his suit that complimented his long top hat. He wore customary gentleman's shoes that were specially fitted for his large feet. A smaller pair of brown boots were currently standing on top of his as he led the smaller figure around the room.

Fran Bow Dagenhart holds onto his skeletal hand firmly. She looks up at the 7" man and watches his yellow eyes and slit pupils. They were locked with hers but he took a moment to close them and hum under his breath. Sharp teeth were lined along the end of his skull but she felt no fear around him. His grip on her was gentle and he had his other hand respectfully on her back. He was the creature of the night. He was her most faithful friend, Itward.

Her black cat is sitting across the room licking his paws. He was her best friend that she was sure to never leave her side. His name was Mr. Midnight. She once went through a long journey to get him back after he was taken from her. All because her parents were murdered by the cruel creature that was the Prince of Darkness. Remor.

Fran's boot accidentally slips off from Itward's shoe. She trips him for a moment but he quickly regains his posture. He looks down at his friend and finds she is flustered. She tries to murmur an apology to him but stops when she feels the skeleton clutch at her hand. She looks up and find he is smiling at her with his skull tilted.

"It's alright," He assures her. "Soon enough you won't need to be on my feet anymore, Fran."

"I'm still sorry!" She spits out. "This is my first time dancing and waltzing...I think I just need more practice."

Itward chuckles and continues moving with Fran along the room. She asked him once day to teach her how to dance. It was a promise he had given her at the time and he was just now going through with it. They needed a big empty room with plenty of time, which they have now.

He taught himself how to dance. Itward enjoys finding hobbies from merely exploring and experimenting around. He found he likes baking, gardening, and solving puzzles and equations. Dancing came to Itward instantly and he found to enjoy the traditional way with classical music. He was just a gentleman at heart, he supposed.

Itward swoops Fran and spins her around. He takes her back towards him and continues waltzing around the room. She laughs and tries to fix her hair.

"Itward!" She exclaims. "Do that again! That was fun."

"Oh?" He asks. "You mean _this_?"

He moves Fran off from his shoes and spins her around with his finger. She laughs again and tries to spin herself. She ends up getting dizzy and has to hold up a hand to stop Itward from going forward. Mr. Midnight walks over to Fran and she picks him up to pet his long, black coat. Itward places his hands behind his back and watches his friend rather patiently.

He asks, "Did you enjoy that, my dear?"

She nods and slowly stops giggling. She sets Mr. Midnight back down and moves her own hands behind her back. Fran leans back and forth on her boots and is giving Itward a curious look. He catches onto this and mimicks her movements to humor her. The two of them share a silent moment of glee. It was such a refreshing part of her her life to be able to do this with someone.

Fran smiles and says, "Itward, you dance really well. Do you ever waltz with the other children?"

"I'm afraid not." Itward closes his eyes. "Only with you, Fran. I don't think any of the other kids would dance with me. Some are artistc, yes, but you are the only one that asked me to teach you."

Mr. Midnight comes over and rubs himself on Fran's stockings. He nuzzles her side with his head and chuckles. His deep voice sounds rather soothing.

"You dance very well, too, Fran. For your first time and all, you were really in rhythm."

Fran picks him up again and hugs him to her chest. She exclaims, "Thank you, kitty!"

Itward watches the two hug quietly. He had done so much to reunite Fran with her kitty. His actions went unnoticed in the end, but he wouldn't forget everything he had done. It was proof to himself of how much he had missed Fran after all these years. The skeleton was a guardian to all of the mentally ill children, her included. It shouldn't be too odd to find himself wanting to accompany them.

"Now, then." He clasps his hands together. "Do you want to try the shuffle?"

Fran sets down Mr. Midnight. She asks, "The shuffle? Sounds fun!"

Itward leans down and offers a hand out to her politely. She takes it rather happily and feels him place her back on his shoes. Mr. Midnight hops off from Fran's shoulder and climbs onto Itward. He takes a seat on the side of his top hat and watches Fran position herself. Itward takes a polite bow and starts leading them around the room.

He spends the rest of their time instructing Fran on new forms of dancing as well as various moves. Fran Bow has a smile plastered on her face the whole time. It was so much fun to see Itward act so properly and to learn how to dance. She should really do this with him more often!


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm Cold, Yet Warm**

* * *

It is a winter afternoon at the Oswald Asylum. Blankets of snow cover the playground equipment outside while various snowflakes fall from the sky. The children outside laugh as they engage in typical snow behavior. Making snow angles, starting snow fights, and building snowmen. Contrary to popular belief, the mentally ill were just having fun. The therapists inside Oswald Asylum scoff at the sight of two young kids throwing snowballs at one another.

"How awful!" Gladys comments and points out the window. "Don't you see? That child is trying to kill that poor boy!"

Another nurse shrugs. "It's probably a bad idea to have those kids out there. One of them is going to think they're fighting."

"You know what Oswald said. He wants them out there to experience this weather." Dr. Deern tells them. He adds, "I think it's a good thing. A great refreshment to the children from all of this medication."

The rest of the therapists and psychologists fall silent at his argument. They clearly want to protest but find nothing to bring up. One of them soon closes the curtains on the sight of the children and storm off. Gladys passes by Deern with a rather angry look but the therapist does not catch it. Instead, he stares at his cup of coffee in thought.

Outside, many children are running around. One of them was Fran Bow, who was wearing a big sweater and scarf around her neck. She also wore purple mittens and her usual stockings and boots. She was currently throwing a couple of snowballs at Philmore. He was sitting on one of the horses and staring at her in silence. She throws a couple of more at him before pouting and crosses her arms.

"You're not even trying, Phil!" She exclaims. "At least throw one back!"

He stares down at the snow around him but does nothing. He was wearing his usual blue clothes and was visibly shaking from the cold. Fran feels a bit of guilt in her stomach and walks over to him. She offers him her sweater and tries to give her roommate a meaningful smile.

"Here, Phil. You can have it."

Philmore takes it from her but doesn't thank her. He wraps it around his frame and it's obvious that it comes to a relief. He seems much warmer. Fran smiles at her act of greatness and keeps a small note in her mind to tell Santa why she should be on the good list. With the snow weather and all, she should really watch out for the other kids! How else was she going to get that new hat for Christmas?

A breeze passes by and Fran shivers. She rubs the side of her arms and quickly runs over to the swings. A few of the children are swinging on it and she finds an empty spot at the end. Fran runs through the children swinging and is about to take the seat until someone suddenly steps in front of her. They take the empty spot and gives Fran a raspberry.

Fran's mouth goes agape. She furrows her eyebrows and stomps on the ground. "Hey! I was here first!"

The child sticks his tongue out and gives Frank a wink. He says, "You snooze you lose! Should have sat here faster."

He leans forward and gives himself a head start. She watches him start to swing and refrains the urge to push him off. She couldn't do a bad deed after she just finished a good one. Santa would be very mad at her! Instead, she walks away without a word and clenches her fists. To think that she was showing the world kindness and it gave her a taken seat in return! It wasn't fair.

Fran finds Isabelle snoozing on the stairs to the slide. She must have taken her medication earlier and was sleeping from the exhaustion. Isabelle is wearing nothing besides the yellow Asylum outfit they chose for her. Fran Bow stops in her tracks and considers doing another good deed. She soon nods afterward and takes off her scarf. She wraps it around Isabella and finds her curling up around it with a smile. She seems to like it very much.

 _Good job, Fran!_ She thinks to herself. _Santa will HAVE to get you that hat now!_

She starts walking away until Fran feels a breeze pass by her. It travels up her yellow dress and the child shivers in return. It was much colder than she thought it was before. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to give away her warm clothes. Santa would forgive her if she took it back, right? She was really cold...

"My dear! You're barely wearing anything!"

Fran turns around and finds her faithful friend behind her. Itward towers over her but gives his friend a smile while he suddenly takes off his robe. Fran watches him as he wraps his robe around her and adjusts it so it doesn't drag on the ground. Immediately, Fran feels much warmer. She lets out a satisfied noise and nuzzles the robe.

She looks over at Itward. He looks really weird in his undershirt. It was like he was naked but he wasn't. She suddenly giggles when she imagines him naked again. He'd look all bony and skinny! Or maybe he'd look like that one skeleton in the reception room? Fran starts to wonder if they're related. She shakes her head soon after.

"Thank you, Itward! How is Mr. Midnight?"

Itward keeps Mr. Midnight with him while Fran is in the Asylum. While she was able to roam freely with him, Fran decided to still stay at the mental hospital every now and then for the sake of her friends. She wanted to spend more time with them before they'd leave like she did. Dr. Deern eventually got his job back and Fran was planning to see him sometime to thank him for what he did for her before.

"He's perfectly alright." The skeleton replies. "How are you, Fran? Warm enough?"

"Yes, I am! I'm sorry for not having my sweater on. Phil looked really cold so I gave him it. And Isabelle was sleeping in the snow so I thought she could use my scarf."

He says, "That was very nice of you! But make sure you wear plenty of clothes next time so you won't be cold."

"I will!" Fran assures. "What are you doing here, by the way?"

"I'm here to make sure the children are alright." Itward explains. "Remor likes to strike during the winter so I'm making sure I'm at the Oswald Asylum as much as I can be."

At the mention of Remor, Fran feels herself cower. That evil creature that stole her kitty is still around? Why would he want to keep tormenting the children here? She hopes that she isn't apart of another plan of his. Fran didn't want to lose her kitty again. Not after what happened before.

"-I'm glad I came." Itward continues. "You could have frozen yourself!"

"Don't exaggerate." Fran rolls her eyes. "I'm perfectly fine! I could have just asked someone else for theirs."

The skeleton tsks but says nothing else. He turns around and watches the children around the playground. A few around them acknowledge the skeleton but continue with what they were doing before. Itward looks up and watches the kids at the swings. Fran walks next to him and eyes the boy on the far right side rather angrily.

"That's the kid who stole my seat! I think he's from downstairs. I don't know who he is."

Itward follows her stare and notices she's eying the child at the end. He was one of the other children. He had messy black hair and wore a ruffled gray sweater. Bags were under his eyes and anyone from afar could notice the way he twitched. Itward soon nods upon recognizing the child.

"Ah! That's Richard. He was admitted here about a week ago. I know he's not the nicest person, but you should treat him kindly, anyway, Fran."

"Why should I?" She crosses her arms. "If he's not nice to me, I'm not going to be nice to him!"

"I thought you already knew why," Itward chuckles. "It's nearly Christmas, Fran! Being kind to one another is what spreads the joy of the holidays."

Fran looks down at Itward's coat wrapped around her. That, itself, was his own gesture of kindness to her. Although, thinking about it further, Fran was sure that he would have given her it anyway. She realizes something and tugs onto Itward's arm to get his attention.

She asks, "Is that why you were so nice to Mia and Clara, Iward?"

"Hm? Oh, no! That wasn't it. I just wanted to help them because the world treated them so cruely. When you are given an unfair chance in life, it is only right that you are given another one. You see?"

Fran takes a moment to contemplate his explanation. She soon nods and holds onto his hand. His fingers were warm despite the cold weather around them. She still felt guilt for killing those sisters but Itward assured her it was alright. They were just cruel at heart. Fran was sure they were on Santa's naughty list for trying to murder Itward.

She looks up at Itward and thinks of all the kind things he has done for her. He helped her find her kitty and saved her from Remor a couple of times. And from what she heard about him from her friends, they all said Itward helped them, too. She couldn't think of one thing he had done that was bad.

Squeezing his hand, Fran grins. She says, "I bet you're on top of Santa's Good List, Itward!"

"Erm...Maybe? Thank you, Fran."

She smiles.


	3. Chapter 3

**My Birthdays**

* * *

"Surprise, Fran!"

Mr. Midnight and Itward surprise Fran with another Birthday party. An even bigger cake is sitting on the table. Instead of the plushed bunnies and animals like her last party, the chairs are filled with Itherstians. The trees look quite happy to see her and all have presents in their hands. Fran covers her mouth with her hands in suprise and almost squeals.

"Thank you, everybody!"

She is now 13. To her friends and to her kitty, Fran was growing rather fast. She is maturing only a tad bit but has not changed her kind and curious nature. Itward prepared for her a caramel cake this year with vanilla buttercream frosting. Mr. Midnight stands beside Fran and eyes the cake hungrily. He licks his lips.

"Ooh! Very delicious!" The cat comments.

"We'll get to the cake after her presents," Itward says. "Fran, come here. We all have something for you."

Fran quickly makes her way over and bows to the Itherstians. They hand her the gifts they had been carrying and say somthing to her in their language. She falls silent at the lack of understanding and gives them a polite smile. The effects of that seed given to her as a tree must have worn off long ago.

"They're telling you how much you've grown." Itward suddenly explains. Fran realizes that he speaks and reads Itherstian fluently.

"Oh?" She asks. "Well, they aren't wrong! I'm in middle school, now."

Ryde, the King's assistant, hands Fran a small gift. She gives him a bow of thanks and sets all of her presents on the table beside her cake. There were just so many! Each of them were a different size and she had no clue what might be in them. She hasn't had so many gifts at once. Her previous Birthday parties were kept rather small but Itward gave her something every year. She ought to get used to being showered with gifts...

King Ziar comes over and drags two large presents with him. He sets them next to the table and takes a deep breath after. He goes to crack his back and everyone around him hears something pop.

"Oof! I'm getting old. I guess I can't lift things like I used to..."

"Hello, King, Sir!" Fran curtsies. She gets his attention right away. Ziar smiles at the sight of his old friend and visitor.

"Good evening, Fran! Do you like the party?"

"Yes! Very much so!" She looks around. "Itward always throws the best parties."

"Yes, he does." King Ziar nods. "Fran...I would just like you to know that you are always welcome here in Ithersta. I know it has been awhile but I want to make sure you know you can come anytime."

She clasps her hands at her waist respectively. She says, "Yes, I know. And I thank you! Kitty and I will be sure to visit more often. I've just been busy with school and all."

"School?" He asks. "Ah, yes. The place where they teach you knowledge. Be sure to come there everyday. You know how much Ithersta treasures knowledge!"

He gives her a dismissive wave and makes his way over to the other Itherstians. Mr. Midnight comes over to Fran and sits down in front of her. The two of them take a look around and marvel at the beautiful sight of summer in Ithersta. The place hasn't changed much since their last visit. Fran truly wishes she could be there more often. She makes a silent promise to herself to come next weekend.

A colorful creature soon passes by her and Fran gasps in delight. The colors of green, white, and pink flash by her eyes. In the next second she sees a large creature in front of her hovering over the land. Black eyes met with hers and Fran gave her friend a polite bow.

"Welcome to my Birthday party, Palontras!"

"Thanks for inviting me, Fran!" He brushes his fur quickly. "I got you something! Where should I put it?"

"On this table here." She points. "Thank you very much!"

Palontras nods and sets down a gift on the table. He takes a moment to eye his friend and he tilts his head curiously. His mannerism hasn't changed through these years. Fran hadn't been able to play with him for awhile because Ithersta was quite far from home. She hopes he isn't upset about it...

"You look different!" He soon exclaims. "Have you done something with your hair?"

"Not really..." Fran observes it. "I've gotten much taller, though! Kitty tells me I'm going to be one of the older kids soon."

Palontras looks confused. He asks, "Older kids?"

"Yeah! They're the ones usually telling what the smaller kids to do. Sometimes they're mean but I've made a few friends that are older than me that are pretty nice."

"Well, that's good! Say, I've gotta' go, Fran. Happy Birthday!"

Palontras drifts away in the sky as fast as he came. Fran watches him fly away for a bit and observes his colorful nature. The creatures of Ithersta never ceased to amaze her with their beauty. Now that she was older she was realizing how much she took for granted. Her friends, her kitty, the King, Itwar-

"Fran."

She turns around and finds her skeleton giving her a patient look. Fran realizes that all of the Itherstians are waiting behind her for her to open her presents. She turns red in embarrassment and quickly comes back to the table. She takes a seat in front of the gifts and flattens down her dress. She takes a look around at all of the gifts and silently decides which one to open.

"Ah!" She grabs a medium-sized one. "I'll open this one, first."

The tag was in Ithersta's language. Fran looks around in the crowd and finds one tree giving her an eager look. She returns it and unwraps the gift. It was a well-crafted ceramic bowl with a branch theme. Fran thanks the tree afterward and sets it to the side. She has no idea what to use it for but doesn't want to be rude.

Opening the presents from the other Itherstians, Fran notices that they are general gifts. It is very nice of them to get Fran something and she didn't take offense to them not trying to be personal. She even got a book about geometry from someone and said nothing besides "thank you". The therapists back at the Asylum had always told Fran to watch her manners.

Fran opens the gift from Palontras and finds it's a big book filled with riddles. It was so much like him to give her opportunities at solving puzzles. She wishes she could thank him as she sets his gift aside. All she had left to open was the two big presents in the back.

Fran has to get on her tiptoes to see the tag. This one was from King Ziar. She wondered what could be in it?

Opening it, she notices that it's a figure. It is a wooden model replicating how Fran looked like as a tree. It reminded her of those robots she'd see at Chuck E Cheese's, except it wasn't moving. What did they call these things, again? A mannequin? Fran eyes it rather curiously.

"I wanted to commemorate your stay here," King Ziar explains behind her. "I had our best artist work on that for you. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Fran smiles. "Thank you! I'll be sure to keep it in my room. It'll be like I'm looking in a mirror! Sort of."

She moves onto the next big present. She checks the tag and finds it's from Itward. Curious, she begins tearing it up and gasps at what is underneath. It's a life-sized plush of a black kitten! If she wasn't mistaken, he made it to look exactly like Mr. Midnight. Fran isn't able to contain herself as she hugs it tightly.

Itward stands beside her and chuckles. "I'm assuming you like it?"

"Yeah!" She takes a step back and observes it. "You usually make me small plushes of Mr. Midnight. This is...really big!"

"I thought I'd change things up a bit. I made it to your size. Now, come on, the cake is waiting for you."

A skeletal hand comes on her back and ushes her back to the table. Fran finds the Itherstians sitting and patiently waiting for her to come. She takes a seat at the head of the table and rubs her hands together. Mr. Midnight comes and makes his way into her lap. Fran pets his coat and thinks of a wish to make this year.

"Hmmm..." She muses.

 _What could I wish for? I have all of my friends here and school is going pretty well. Ah! I know..._

She leans forward and furrows her eyebrows in thought. She wishes for it to never change. As soon as the candles blow out, everyone claps and makes their way to the cake. Itward is able to get Fran a good portion of a slice before the trees devour the rest. He sets the plate down in front of her.

"What did you wish for, my dear?" He asks.

"If I tell you, it won't come true!" She hums. "-And I REALLY want it to come true."

Itward is silent as he starts to eat his thin slice of cake. Fran watches him curiously and finds that his sharp teeth work great at eating food. The slice is gone before she is able to finish hers. Mr. Midnight nibbles some off of her plate while she isn't looking. Fran notices and silently scolds her kitty. Itward wipes his teeth with a napkin next to her and looks down at the table in thought.

"You know," He begins. "When you were little, you made me a promise before you wished on your Birthday. Do you remember it?"

Fran takes a moment from eating the cake to think. A promise? She didn't quite remember promising anything to Itward. She soon shrugs and gives him a look.

"No, I don't. What was it?"

"You promised you'd never forget me."

She goes silent at this. Mr. Midnight takes this chance to finish the rest of the cake on her plate. Fran doesn't mind it as she lets him have the rest and thinks in silence. Did she really make that promise? If so, it might have been her own fault when she started to forget him. A twinge of guilt came in the pit of her stomach.

"Are you mad?"

"About what?" Itward asks.

"That I forgot about you...?"

He shakes his skull. "Of course not. You were going through a lot, my dear. You wanted your kitty back while you were admitted to the Asylum. It isn't your fault you forgot me. You were just busy."

"Still..." She says. "It wasn't right of me to forget you. Especially that I wouldn't have gotten kitty back if it weren't for you."

"I guess it was rather selfish of me to take you home by myself that day." He looks up in thought. "At least you remembered me. Do you still promise not to forget, Fran?"

"Of course not, Itward. You're my most faithful friend."


	4. Chapter 4

**I Grow Older**

When Fran is 16, she starts thinking a lot more about her life. She thinks about the murder of her parents and finds that the guilt still lingers with her. Her PTSD wasn't as bad as it used to be and she no longer required medication. All in all, she had been a damaged flower that was still growing. She was at the point where now, in her life, she was starting to bloom.

Mr. Midnight yawns and stretches on her tummy. Fran pets his coat and stares at her ceiling in thought. The buzzing sounds of the flying machine around her comforted her. She moved into Itward's machine long ago with him and had abandoned her old room in her old house. She picked up Mr. Midnight's bed from there and a couple of other things but hasn't been there since.

She looks at the posters on her walls in thought. Itward took her to school, fed her, and always made sure she was protected. They got rid of the kamalas much easier nowadays so travelling through the realities wasn't as troublesome as it was before. She wouldn't consider Itward's machine as her house but it was quite close to it. He even installed a bathroom for her when she moved in.

She hears him knock on her door and peek inside her room. His slit pupils met with hers and he tilted his head. His appearance changed very minimal over the years. She made him a locket one year and he has kept on it his coat ever since. Inside of it was a picture of her that she made for reasons she couldn't recall. As a child, she was very unappreciative of his help to her.

He asks, "Are you alright, my dear?"

"Yes." Fran replies. "Just a little tired, is all."

"Well, feel free to rest. I was planning on going to-"

"Itward? Can you come here for a moment?"

The skeleton pauses at the sudden request but obliges anyway. He slides the door open fully and makes his way onto her bed. He looks around her room briefly before turning to her attentively. Mr. Midnight climbs off from Fran's tummy and starts to rest on her pillows.

Fran sits up on her bed and swings her legs onto the floor. She sits down next to Itward and says nothing. The skeleton is very much confused.

"Fran?"

"They bully me at school."

Itward is caught off guard. Bully? Why on Earth would she be bullied? Children were so cruel, sometimes. He wished he could protect her in more ways than he could right now. Itward tells Fran the typical advice her counselors bother her with.

"Just ignore them as best as you can, sweetheart."

"I try to!" She groans. "I just...they keep making fun of me for the stories I tell them. I tell them about Ithersta and of Remor and getitng my kitty back...I tell my new friends all of these things but they do not believe me. They call me a freak and that I should just go back to that Asylum."

Itward falls silent. Fran grabs a pillow from nearby and stuffs her face in it rather angrily. It was clear that she was upset with the world. The skeleton had seen this before with those two twins. His help to them hadn't been taken right in the end, so he was going to do his best with Fran now. It was his job as his guardian to make sure Fran is the happiest she can be.

He says, "You are very strong, Fran. The more you show your kindness to those around you that do not deserve it, the more pure you will become. The world will soon repay your trouble and you will appreciate holding on like this."

She looks up from her pillow and he makes out a couple of tears from her eyes. Itward leans forward and grabs his hankerchief from his pocket to wipe them off. Fran sits up in the bed and slowly removes the pillow from her face. Mr. Midnight comes over and sits in her lap to soothe the girl.

The kitten says, "I think you should trust Itward on this one, Fran. Remember what he has done for those girls? Mia and Clara?"

Fran nods. The skeleton is rather happy that she believes him and he wipes the rest of her tears away. She holds the pillow close to her chest and starts to rock herself back and forth. She takes a deep breath.

"Itward...do you love me?"

He doesn't hesitate. He replies, "Of course, my dear. I love all of the children I protect."

"No, I..."

She bites her lip and hides her face in the pillow. She murmurs something in it but Itward doesn't catch it. He leans forward and eyes the girl rather worringly. Mr. Midnight claws at her arm but she still doesn't move. Fran was acting rather peculiar. She usually never hid from anyone unless she was in danger. She never was around her guardian.

"Fran? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." Itward says.

"I meant...like, more than a friend?"

The skeleton goes silent. He sits up straight and looks around her room wordlessly. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that. None of the other children ever brought it up with him. Maybe it was because she was getting older and she was feeling things she hadn't felt before. And if that were the case, he wasn't quite sure what she was feeling right now.

At the lack of a response, Fran tightens her grip on the pillow.

She explains, "The kids at the school...They ask me if I have a boyfriend and I tell them that I have an imaginary friend that loves me. The kids then bully me for still believing in someone that doesn't exist."

"Doesn't exist?" Itward inquires. "My dear, if I didn't exist, then things would have ended quite dreadfully long ago. Besides. If I weren't real, then how could I do _this_?"

Itward suddenly leans forward and starts to tickle Fran. The teenager starts to hold her sides and lets go of the pillow. She starts laughing once he gets to her ticklish areas. She urges him off and he sits back automatically. Fran looks a bit disappointed but wipes the tears from her eyes aftewards.

"I suppose you're right." She giggles. "You are real. If you weren't, then I'd probably be dead."

Mr. Midnight crawls back into her lap and rubs against Fran. She pets him by instinct and continues sitting in silence. Fran wasn't quite sure what begged her to ask Itward if he loved her. The guys at school thought she was insane and it was near impossible to find any to befriend. She would have been disgusted of the idea of having a boyfriend but now she found it wouldn't hurt. Fran was actually pretty lonely under those circumstances.

She hesitates and asks again. "You didn't really answer my question..."

"Ah." Itward fidgets with his collar. "Well, I...I've watched you grown since you were a little baby, Fran. Wouldn't it seem wrong to like you that way?"

"I'm older now!" Fran defends. "And you don't really have an age...So it wouldn't matter. One of my friends is dating someone who's 18. No one is bothered by it."

"...Is there any particular reason you like me this way?"

She blushes at the question and looks away from him. Mr. Midnight is looking up at her curiously. He knew of her feelings for him for awhile now but he was a bit lost at what was going on. Why was she so bashful? Fran was such an outgoing girl.

"I...You saved my life, for one. You were there for me when no one else was and you even took me home when I needed it. I'm very close to you and you've treated me so nicely. You even said you loved me, so I just assumed you'd feel the same way."

"Fran."

She turns to him and finds Itward leaning down to her. He takes one of her hands and looks her in the eyes. His voice and tone are serious. She hasn't heard him like this for awhile.

"While I do love you very much, I don't believe I'm the suitable one for you. You need a boy your age that'll grow with you. I'm able to exist as long as you exist, remember? You already have Mr. Midnight by your side, my dear."

"I've been quirkyalone for awhile now, Itward! Don't get me wrong, I love Mr. Midnight so dearly, but all of my friends have people they can kiss and go to the movies with. I have no one besides my kitten and people who show pity for me because they think I'm insane. You've treated me like an actual person, Itward..."

Fran starts to cry again. Mr. Midnight is there to comfort her while the skeleton takes it all in. He gathers his thoughts together and wraps his arms around Fran. He holds her close to his ribcage and stares at her blankets in thought. He wouldn't have imagined himself in this position a mere year ago.

She really _was_ getting older...

He sighs. "I don't like seeing you upset, Fran. After all you've been through, you don't deserve to be in anymore sorrow. Besides...I thought you'd have gotten the message by now."

"What message?" She looks up at him and sniffles. Itward looks down at her and rests a hand on her back.

"That I've always loved you, my dear...but I am not going to be the right one for you. I'm much too different than your friends, you see? I cannot give you some things that they can. You'll be much happier with someone your own age rather than an ageless creature of the night like me. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Fran looks down rather disappointed. She says, "Yes, I do. Thank you, Itward..."

He tips her chin back up with a finger to get Fran to look at him. He says, "Please don't be upset, my dear. I understand you're going through a lot right now. Give yourself some time to know more about yourself before you make big decisions like these. You have a lot of time, my dear."

The disappointment in her eyes doesn't cease. Itward is dissatisfied of this and takes a deep breath.

"-You know I am always going to be by your side. If you really feel this way about me and you are _completely_ sure that I am the one for you, then we will talk about it then. But please keep questioning the world around you, my friend. You are going to grow so beautifully when you do."

The feeling slowly fades away from her eyes. Instead, Fran stares at him in disbelief for a moment or two. A big smile comes onto her face and she goes to hug him tightly. She soon pulls away and fidgets with her fingers shyly. It seems like something else is on her mind. He is about to ask her until she suddenly leans forward and presses her lips against his teeth.

He locks up his jaw so he does not hurt her. One scrape against her lip would cut her. She pulls away again and her face is really red. Fran clears her throat and adjusts herself on the bed. She looks like she's trying not to burst.

"I-It's a kiss! For everything you have done for me, Itward. I really am grateful to have someone like you in my life. I'm sorry for not asking first..."

"Ahh, It's fine..." Itward trails a finger over his teeth. "I'm just not used to affection, I suppose. You're the first person to have kissed me, Fran."

"For a handsome skeleton like you, that's really surprising!" She giggles.

He enjoys seeing her happy again. The smile on her face warms Itward once again. He stands up and flattens the side of her bed that he had been sitting on. Fran goes under the blankets and immediately feels Itward tucking her in. He leans down and pats her on the head.

"-Rest up, Fran. We're making a little stop to the first reality and then we will go back to the third. I'll wake you when we're there."

He picks up Mr. Midnight and sets the cat in his bed next to hers. The cat replies with a yawn and snuggles up in his pillow. Itward walks out of the room and turns around to close the door behind him. When his eyes travel upwards, he finds Fran waving her hand to get his attention.

"I love you, Itward!"

He chuckles. "I love you, too, my dear."


End file.
